Misguided Love
by Majin Magus
Summary: Like most of my fics, this was inspired by music. By the title, you can see there's love involved, but there's also action. Who's going to be loving who? In the emotions department, it's above my usual fics. Lots of thoughts and feelings rather than surro
1. Misguided Love

Misguided Love

Majin Magus

*

**The day Julian became Robotnik…**

*

A mother carried her child into the forest. She had been an Overlander disguised as an ordinary Mobian in Mobotropolis, but royal guards found her out. This girl was a technological genius, which was very fortunate for her child, to say the least.

The pale woman ran, gasping for air, while her dark brown bangs blocked her eyesight. Gray eyes blinking sweat and hair away, she veered towards the forest.

"Oh, my child, I pray this works…and…and I am sorry you cannot have a proper childhood," she apologized, dodging into the Great Forest, the shouts of the guards not too far behind her.

Stepping up to a young yet thick sapling tree, the mother pulled on one of its branches. A sliding hatch revealed a compartment. 

"Forgive me, my darling little Kadija," she whispered, tears running down her face. She placed the infant girl into the redwood sapling.

"Damn," she cursed softly. The guards found her…but the whole point of running was to save her daughter. She kicked the fake tree and it disappeared.

The guards, three of them, all of them beavers, grabbed the mother by the arms. They began to walk back to the city, but something large flying in the air cast a shadow on the them.

"What the…" one of the beavers gasped. It was an enormous metal aircraft and it was headed toward Mobotropolis. The guards jerked the woman along as they rushed to the castle, unaware of the dismal future of their wonderful city…

*

**Present Day Mobius**

*

During the eleven or so years after Robotnik took over, the child slept inside the 'tree.' The tree took in all information around her, like the surrounding area, what was going on, what had happened.

Kadija's tree was by the out limits of the forest, and it faced Robotropolis. So although the kid was sleeping, she knew who the Freedom Fighters were, who Julian was, what missions the FF had gone on, and they even knew what everyone looked like. The only thing Kadija wouldn't know was names. She would know that a blue hedgehog was with the FF, but she wouldn't know his name or the new name Julian had given himself. 

It was only partially their mother's intention to have her sleep for a long time, for she had overhead Julian's plan. She had programmed the tree so that it would grow faster as Kadija grew. Obviously, this woman was a genius like no other.

When something hit the tree, the tree would open and awaken the child. Kadija, would know all, as well as know why she was in a tree.

It was on a rainy day, while the Freedom Fighters were retreating into the woods, that Tails accidentally crashed into the tree that held Kadija. After the little fox sped off after Sonic, the bark hummed and became liquid. It melted away, revealing a flash of metal.

For the first time in eleven years, Kadija opened her eyes. She had beautiful dark brown hair, and cold, steely gray eyes. She wore a black jumpsuit, designed for sneaking around. 

"Mother…" she muttered as all the information of the past eleven years came flooding to her. She was supposed to twelve, but the tree sped up her growth so she looked sixteen. A slight drawback, but at least she was alive.

Her head turned to the large metal structure that was Robotropolis. 

"Quite a project Julian has been working on," she commented. "It wouldn't hurt to explore a bit more. Those mindless robots won't see me."

Kadija ran off towards the city.

*

Near the center of the city, Kadija had to use very careful evasion techniques. SWATbots almost caught her a few times. Her black jumpsuit turned out to be incredibly valuable, as she blended in very well with the dark, dismal, environs of Robotropolis.

"Hmm…they can turn Mobians into robots? Yes, yes, I remember a robot hedgehog following the fast blue one. I think he was freed from slavery though." Kadija silently pondered this. "In the memory of my capsule, there was a log about Mobians becoming robotic slaves. Their minds must be hardwired to follow Julian's commands."

She stayed in one place too long, however, because she heard a robotic voice shout from behind.

"Halt intruder!" the voice shouted. Kadija turned and saw SWATbots (those things' names she knew) rushing at her.

"Shit!" she hissed, and she leapt into a pile of scrap metal. She breathed a sigh of relief as they passed. She rested there for a bit. It was nice to not have to constantly be on the lookout for a little.

_'As odd as it may seem, I'm still neutral to this,' Kadija thought, and then she was a little surprised at her own standing on this whole matter of taking over Mobius. _

Over the course of thirty minutes, she gathered all the jumbled thoughts and memories she had. Julian should be at the core, the center, of this city. Kadija would like to see Julian, see the great destroyer of Mobotropolis.

_'It's decided, then,' she thought, smiling. __'I'll go see the "great" Julian.' _

With a leap and a bound, she slid out of her hiding place and back into the shadows.

*

The small man walked slowly down the hall, obviously in no great rush. So what if some one was sneaking around the city? Let Julian worry about it.

Snively grinned for a moment, thinking of the expression on the fat man's face when he heard that someone was creeping in the bowels of the city, evading all capture. Not that any attempts had been made.

All in all, Snively was very short. He had a long pointed nose and a few faint wisps of hair on his head. He was Julian's, a.k.a. Robotnik's, nephew, and he hated his uncle. When he wasn't working in the control room typing reports and so on, he was scheming under Robotnik's nose.

Putting on a hurried expression and a look of concern and worry, he barged into the room, which was the room where Robotnik always sat in his big chair, hardly ever moving.

"Dr. Robotnik, sir!" Snively called. His voice sounded snobbish, sort of like he had a cold, but not quite. 

A cool, steely voice answered. "What is it, Snively?" The green chair turned to reveal Robotnik. 

A very large man, Robotnik had a long orange mustache, and no hair on his head. The whites of his eyes were black, and the pupils and irises had somehow fused to made a red circle in each eye. A piece of metal covered each of his ears, for unknown reasons.

"EyeSpy unit 314 has detected someone sneaking around Robotropolis, heading for here, sir." Snively put on a look of concern and he feigned interest.

Robotnik considered this. "Who is it? Which of the Freedom Fighters? It can't be the hedgehog, he'd never sneak around." The evil Overlander placed his fingertips together.

Snively actually _read part of the report, and saw something that brought real interest to this matter._

"The height is…er…a bit much for any of the Freedom Fighters around here. It might be one of the wolves, but we can't be sure. The EyeSpy didn't get clear footage, just of a shadowed figure," Snively said, summing up the long, droning report.

The man's large fist clenched.

"If it isn't a Freedom Fighter, then we don't know what it can do. _Capture it and bring it to me!" Robotnik hissed. Snively nodded, turned, and rolled his eyes as he left the room._

*

Kadija sat in the air vent, relaxing. She had been there for a while, hiding out from the now-alert EyeSpies. The SWATbots were on a more attentive patrol so she ran a greater risk of being caught. It was stimulating in a way.

The girl peeked through a nearby grate for the first time and saw a row of cells below her. Prisoners? Of course, Julian had possession of the Roboticizer, did he not? They must be awaiting mecha-slavery.

"Might as well take a look," she muttered softly, and she silently opened the grate and was about to jump down when…

"What do you mean, you haven't found the intruder yet?!" a voice yelled.

The first thought was 'not robot.' The second thought was 'Who the hell…?'.

A man with a large nose was standing in front of a SWATbot, which towered over him.

"We have not yet located the intruder," the bot said in its metallic voice. Around it in the cells, the capture Freedom Fighters watched interestedly, but they also wore glares of contempt and hate on their faces, and these were directed at Snively.

"Well, you have heard the order, so find whoever is slinking around in here! Stun, shoot, whatever, just find it!!" Snively commanded. The SWATbot turned and headed down the hall.

Snively started to go off in the opposite direction but he whirled around when he heard the SWATbot fall and break into pieces. His eyes widened with surprise when he saw what has caused the bot to break.

A teenaged Overlander girl stood in the midst of the broken bot, her eyes darkened with menace, but a little triumphant pride appeared with the shadow. She had long brown hair, and shockingly steely gray eyes. Dressed in black, this girl looked like a thief or an assassin. Could she a be a mercenary from the Freedom Fighters sent to kill Robotnik?

Quickly, hiding the shock of seeing another Overlander besides himself and his uncle, Snively produced an amused grin on his face. "Well, well, well…so you're the one who has been skulking around, bugging the hell out of Julian." He said 'Julian' because he knew _that bugged the hell of out Robotnik, and he hated him anyway._

"I guess so," she replied coldly, getting an eyeful of the prisoners in the cells. Snively waited for a flicker of pity or a look saying 'I'll get you out,' but there was none. It was like she was just surveying a bunch of trees in a forest or something. The prisoners returned her glance with looks of confusion mingled with contempt.

Without warning, two SWATbots came up behind the girl and each grabbed one of her arms.

"Surprise, surprise. You should've paid more attention." Snively directed his speech to the SWATbots. "Come on, let's go." 

As he turned, there was a crash and metal clinked on the ground. Sighing, Snively turned to see a SWATbot's head staring up at him from the ground.

With expertise, the girl was trashing the remaining SWATbots lightning fast – not as fast as Sonic, but fast enough – and within seconds there was a large trash heap at her feet.

A smirk crossed Snively's face as he grabbed a SWATbot's dropped stun gun. Before the girl could react, he fired, sending her into an unconscious blackness and to a heap on the floor.

*

About thirty minutes later, Snively strode into the main control room, the SWATbots holding the Overlander girl right outside the door. Robotnik's big chair turned and the machine overlord glared down at his nephew.

"Have you captured the intruder, Snively?"

The small man hid his hatred of the glowering fat man and said with a sniff, "Yes, sir." Without preamble, two SWATbots came in dragging the limp form of the Overlander.

Robotnik portrayed a look of interest. "It's quite unusual for a young girl to be wandering around my city…" He looked at the SWATbots. "Let her go." 

The two bots dropped the girl and she stirred to consciousness. Snively glanced from the girl to the SWATbots to Robotnik.

"Sir, this girl has destroyed two SWATbots in under two minutes. Don't you think you should…"

Robotnik interrupted him. "Bah. However good a fighter she is, she can't possibly match that miserable hedgehog. Therefore, she cannot possibly be more a threat than the hedgehog," he said, signaling the SWATbots to leave.

_'Such might be true, Julian, but your smug idiocy blinds you to the real truth, you moron,' Snively thought, narrowing his eyes at the waking girl._

"Aah…my aching head…damn it…" she muttered. Her left hand touched the floor. Her eyes flew open. She looked from Robotnik to Snively to the two retreating SWATbots.

The girl sprang up and her eyes locked on the fat man.

"Julian Ivo Kintobor," she said, taking in his robotic arm, eyes, ears, and, in other words, judging him like she had never seen him before. This didn't make sense to Snively. She was about sixteen, so she would've been six when Robotnik took over. Of course she would've seen him or something…or maybe not.

Robotnik's eyes narrowed. "The name is _Robotnik, now. Remember it, child." _

The girl bowed mockingly. "And my poorly invented name is Kadija. Actually, that's my real name, and it's way better than 'Robotnik.' What kind of idiotic name is that?" Kadija said, crossing her arms. She knew she was playing with fire, but she didn't care right now.

An evil grin spread across Robotnik's face. "SWATbots, take her to a cell. She will be Roboticized tomorrow with the other Mobians."

The two SWATbots returned and tried to grab Kadija, but she flipped behind them and kicked it. The other bot fired a beam out of its hand and it hit Kadija's left arm. Her arm hung limp, and she clutched at it. The SWATbot grabbed her and dragged her out of the room.

As she was taken, she glared at Robotnik, then Snively. She stopped her glower. She had never taken the detail of others before, in the few hours she has been officially alive, but her eyes swept over the tiny man. What…what was it? What was it about the evil little guy that made her expression soften and her eyes as shining as polished silver? This, this feeling… So far, the only emotions she had experienced were worry of being caught, the rush of battle, pride from victory, and indifference at the sight of the Mobians.

Could it…

Could it be…

Could it be love?

Everything was new to her, but the cold, hard facts had put the childlike wonder aside, preparing her for the real truth. Love and hate were completely unknown…but, yes, her heart told her this was love. Undeniable, unmistakable love. Even though he was evil, she felt love for him. Sure, he was years older, but did that matter? She thought it should, but it didn't.

_'Snively,' she thought, saying his name in her head. As the SWATbot dragged her down the hall past all the contemptuous Mobians, she broke down the new emotion inside her. Then, it was pushed aside for fear._

R-Roboticization?!

As she was pushed inside a cell and the door closed with a 'clank,' her mind was on her fate. One day and a half as a living, breathing, conscious creature? Not fair!! She just woke up! She had just walked for the first time, saw the splendor of the organic world for the first time! This was totally unfair!!

*

Kadija didn't sleep at all. She wasn't even sure it was night. It might've been night when she entered the city. It was almost impossible to see the sun with the sludgy pollution in the air.

In the small hours, she surmised this since she was so tired, she heard crying the cell next to her. She couldn't very well see who was crying, but it sounded like a young child. 

Softly and quietly, oh-so-quietly, the child sang.

"T-trouble keeps you runnin' faster, 

Save the planet from disaster. 

Through the dark, to the light, 

It's a super Sonic plight, 

Gotta keep it goin'.

Sonic boom,

Sonic move,

Sonic boom,

Trouble keeps you runnin' faster,

Save the planet from disaster…"

Kadija couldn't guess what this meant, but it gave her something to listen to. The child sang a few verses, obviously hope put into words. The song was describing someone…someone the child hoped would save him. 

She remembered Julian saying: _'Bah. However good a fighter she is, she can't possibly match that miserable hedgehog.' _

After fifteen minutes, the observations she had made came together, piece by piece.

A fast blue hedgehog running from Robotropolis to the forest many times a day.

Robotnik's words of distaste for a hedgehog.

This song.

'Sonic' was the blue hedgehog! He must be the part of the free Mobians fighting against Julian! Of course, it's obvious! She realized this, and then wondered if Sonic would come tomorrow. Maybe he'd save her, too… 

'_But…the Mobians hate Overlanders. Look at what they have to judge from…' Kadija thought glumly. Maybe Sonic would have mercy… _

She then heard the clanking of metal footsteps coming from down the hall…

*

Thirty minutes after that, all the Mobian prisoners plus Kadija were lined up in front of a glass tube In a room full of machinery. The glass tube was the Roboticizer, obviously. 

Robotnik, seeing Kadija, scowled. He remembered her mocking him from yesterday. Of course, revenge was easy and then she wouldn't be making fun.

"The Overlander first," he ordered the SWATbots. They pushed Kadija onto the platform and the glass tube came down around her. Her eyes widened with shock and she saw the Mobians staring at her with indifference mingled with the fear of the same thing happening to them.

She turned to face Robotnik. "Julian, you bastard!" she roared, but the evil tyrant just grinned.

_'Kadija,' a voice in her head whispered. It was her own mind, which seemed to calm the rush of fear inside of her._

_'Calm down,' it said. __'You busted up **metal SWATbots. You can't break glass?' The realization dawned on her. Of course! Panic had clouded her mind, and she couldn't think rationally, and…**_

_'Hey! Hey! Get back to the present!!!' the voice shrieked._

A low yelp came from her mouth as she became once again aware of the Roboticizer, which should have begun to work by now. It seemed to be taking a while to warm up. 

But now wasn't the time to think. Now was the time to act.

Kadija put all her strength into a bash against the glass, and it broke it into hundreds of pieces. The glass cut her sharply, but she needed to escape. As she dashed down the hall, the Mobians behind her, sort of, she heard Robotnik's cry of rage.

From around a corner stepped Snively, and she paused for a second. Then, remembering her fate if she remained, Kadija leapt over him, the Mobians following suit.

"Stop!" Snively shouted, apparently instinctively, because of course none of them would stop.

Kadija, however, tripped at the sound of his voice. She fell over running and scraped her arms on the floor. All the Mobians behind her tripped as well and they all winded up in a heap. 

*

The Mobians pretty much hated Kadija after that. Luckily there wasn't a Mobian in the cell across from her, so she didn't have to endure a dubious glare. 

Hmm…love made you feel like you had to be near the person? Yes…that sounds about right. 

Later that day, Kadija overheard two SWATbots talking. 

"It seems Lord Robotnik will have the Roboticizer functional tomorrow," one said, its mechanical feet clinking as it walked.

"Yes, he will also be replacing the regular glass with a new type of glass that he calls Diamond Glass." 

Kadija didn't like the sound of that. _Diamond glass? Oh, man, that'll sure be as hard as it sounds. _

"Inevitable doom," she muttered, then she dropped unconsciously to the ground from lack of sleep. In seconds she was slumbering peacefully, but it wouldn't last.

*

In a small woodland village deep into the woods, in a hut, a blue hedgehog tapped his foot impatiently.

"Sal, Uncle Chuck that the Roboticization didn't happen today. Something malfunctioned, or whatever. It's tomorrow, and we gotta do something!" the hedgehog protested.

A pretty squirrel turned to him, a small computer in her hand. "I know, Sonic, and we will. Just let me think of a plan." Sally turned to Sonic.

"Why can't we just go in, bust up the place, and take a hovercraft out of there?" he said, frustrated with the whole tactical thing.

Sally's eyebrows rose. "Sonic, that's actually a good idea! I'll talk it over with Bunnie and the others, and we'll be ready to go at dawn," she said. And with that, she left the hut.

*

It was just like the other day, only now the glass shown with pieces of reflecting prism embedded in it. Kadija was in the tube, just like before. She was crestfallen, and she knew trying to break out again would be utterly futile. 

Robotnik, again, was there watching. The same grin that was on his face when he ordered her Roboticization was there again.

"Commence Roboticization," he said, and a SWATbot pressed a button.

As the machine began to hum, Kadija's eyes caught sight of an unwatched monitor's projection. A blur sped across it, but a hedgehog, who obviously _was the blur, came back into the view of the camera. He curled up into a spiny ball and flew at the camera. The picture became static. Robotnik failed to notice this._

There were tiny little objects at the top of the Roboticizer, about two feet above Kadija's head. They glowed green, and she realized they were the things that shot out the green rays of Roboticization. If she only could destroy them…

A little bluebird, an oversized animal like the other Mobians, had also noticed Sonic on the now crackling monitor. For Kadija, everything was slowing down. She saw the glimmer of hope in his eyes, the same hope that was in the words of the song he had sung.

"If you're strong,

You can fly,

You can reach the other side of the rainbow.

It's all right, 

Take a chance,

'Cause there is no circumstance

That you can't handle…

When you use your mind!

Sonic boom,

Sonic move,

Sonic boom…"

The bluebird was singing again, and the other Mobians obviously recognized the song. They were chiming in, but softly and fearfully. They hadn't seen the projection, but hope built with every word. 

Green energy racked Kadija's body. She felt her body slowing going numb and gradually becoming hard, like metal… It was as painful as all hell.

But just as she was sure she was doomed, that there was no turning back now, now that there was green energy so bright she couldn't see…

A blue blur exploded into the room.


	2. Three Quarters Metal

Three-Quarters Metal

Majin Magus

Sonic the Hedgehog took a millisecond to survey the scene. He saw Robotnik, the lined up Freedom Fighters awaiting Roboticization. He also noticed the green glow of the Roboticizer filling the tube.

One of the captured prisoners said, quickly, to Sonic, "It's too late for that guy, plus Robotnik remade the capsule out of Diamond Glass." Even though Robotnik was ordering tons of SWATbots into the room, Sonic hesitated.

The Freedom Fighter was determined to get even with the Overlander. "Think about it, Sonic. Try to deactivate it, and you'll do us all in!" he said, and the hedgehog nodded.

"Alright Ro-butt-nik, you're going down!" Sonic called to the fat man.

He curled into a ball and began attacking the SWATbots, the other Freedom Fighters, helpless because they were chained, sang Sonic's song of praise. It was the song dedicated to the blue hedgehog that they sung when they had a victory or in times of despair.

*

"G-Goddamn you, Julian!!" Kadija cried, but her yell simply bounced around the capsule. She looked down.

Everything up to her waist was robotic, and the Roboticizer was quickly infecting her arms like a virus. The pain was indescribable; it racked what parts of her weren't metal, and it burned in her head and slowed her thoughts.

She realized both her arms were non-organic now, and the Roboticizer was working up her torso. As if in tune with her rage, a hatch opened in her right forearm revealing a laser gun.

_'USE IT YOU MORON!!!' _her mind roared at her.

Kadija saw five things at the top of the Roboticizer. She aimed the gun with uncertainty. 

_'You know, the most important things are your heart and mind…so…SHOOT THE DAMN THINGS THAT ARE AIMED FOR YOUR HEART AND HEAD!!' _was the cry in her head. Without thinking, she blasted the two most critical, then the other three. 

Thirty seconds later, it was evident that the Roboticizer didn't like to be shot. The thingies were destroyed, by now green beams were firing wildly. One hit her left eye, and another on her forehead.

When her forehead was struck, it felt like a drill was shot into her, inching closer and closer to her brain. It stopped after just Roboticizing her mind for a half-second. A tiny voice, cold and commanding, tried to overpower her brain and make her into a robotic slave. Even though it incredibly easy to block it away, it would, apparently, strike out at times and turn her into a cold killing machine.

There was a wild explosion that completely shattered one side of the Diamond Glass tube. A thicket of smoke overtook the room.

"Aah…what the heck?!" a voice exclaimed, choking on the smoke. It was kind of smarmy, and it sounded like it belonged to someone who thought they were the best in the world.

"No! Impossible!!" Robotnik's menacing voice roared, dismayed at the cracked Roboticizer tube. 

"I'm not gonna let a little dust get in the way of me beating you!" the smarmy laughed, and a blue blur suddenly started bouncing around the room.

Kadija was shaky from the Roboticizer, and she leaned against the tube, glad that no one could she her. What did she look like? She looked at her new self.

Every inch of her non-organic self was black. Her robotic legs were sleek and obviously made for hovering or great speed, maybe both. Her arms shone with a green glow. Her torso was metallic but the Roboticizer had been stopped three or four inches before the start of her neck. The eye that had been hit with the green beam was purple, save the pupil which was gold. 

The robotic fingers of her left hand traced the spot where her forehead had been Roboticized. Somehow, she could still feel, even with a body that was three-quarters metal. It was a tiny little symbol…(think Dr. Robotnik's head in the Sonic games)…and it seemed to be attached to her sense of hearing, therefore it amplified it by about ten times.

The voice, Sonic's, she presumed, said, "And that'll teach ya to mess with my friends. Let's go guys." A lot of cheering erupted and the sound went down the hall, and there was a low moan from Robotnik, but Kadija could sense that Sonic hadn't left the room yet.

"Yell-o? Anybody non-Roboticized in there? Hey, it's okay. It's me, Sonic," the hedgehog called into the mist.

There was a hacking cough, then a voice spoke. "D-Don't say it's okay. It isn't…" Kadija replied, her hand absently caressing the broken Diamond Glass.

"Um…I can help you. We know there's a De-Roboticizer _somewhere, _and we'll use it on you if…er…when we find it," Sonic said to the unknown person.

Kadija scoffed. "When you see me, I doubt you'll want to help me. Your friends that just left sure didn't lift a finger." She stepped from the capsule, swaying slightly on her robotic legs.

"Why wouldn't we…help…" The hedgehog's voice trailed off, and his eyes suddenly became calculating and wary.

"Overlander!" he hissed, the same look in his eyes and on his face as the other Freedom Fighters. The look softened as he saw her new cold, hard metal body.

Kadija smiled grimly. "Yeah, that was the reaction I was expecting. I mean, it's not like I've _done _anything to you or your kind. No, no! I'm an Overlander therefore I'm evil! Right." Without preamble, she continued to mumble to herself.

"I just wake up from a stinking tree that my mother designed because she knew of Julian's plan, and I'm captured and almost turned into a robot! I've lived, what, a few _days!? _I've never had food or water!! Talk about unfair. Aren't people at least supposed to taste water at least _once _in their life?!" Kadija said. Sonic just stared at her.

"Um…that's all true? It's…well…_impossible._" Sonic muttered, his eyes flashing to the large, unconscious form of Robotnik.

Kadija turned to him, her face, he now noticed, haggard and gaunt. "Does it _look _like I'm lying? I'm not some professional liar, you know."

Sonic was about to speak, but a female squirrel poked her head into the room. 

"Sonic! C'mon, we gotta g-…" She stopped when she saw Kadija. 

Kadija turned her gaze to the squirrel. "You…you remind me of King Acorn. I've seen a picture back in…wait, I bet you're his daughter. Am I right?" she asked.

"Uh…yes, I'm Princess Sally Acorn. And I can see you're an Overlander, and…um…if you're Roboticized, you can't be with Robotnik, so will you come with us?" Sally asked, her wits leaving prejudice behind.

As the two Freedom Fighters waited for Kadija's response, a nasal voice was heard in the corridor outside the room.

"Sir, I've detected…um…" Snively rounded the corner to see Sonic, Sally, and Kadija all staring at him. For a moment, they all stood in silence, but then the small man's hand inched toward a button. An alarm sounded and the two Freedom Fighters knew SWATbots were coming.

"Oh, man! Sal, we gotta go, now! Er…you too…um…?" Sonic said, grabbing Sally's hand and looking at Kadija.

Kadija's eyes widened slightly at the sight of Snively. "My name is Kadija, Sonic. And even if I did go with you, you'd never really trust me. And there is one reason I will stay here…but I'm not allied with Julian." And without another word, Kadija ripped off the grate of the vent above and jumped it.

Sally watched the last of the Overlander disappear. "Go, Sonic, _go! _We've got to get out of here!" Sonic, carrying Sally, blasted off down the corridor.

Cursing under his breath, Snively watched them go. Robotnik was unconscious, and when he awoke, he would, of course, blame Snively for the escape of those Freedom Fighters.

"Why the hell would she stay here?" he said to himself, thinking of Kadija. She hadn't been totally Roboticized, and if she had, she'd be a powerful ally.

*

In the weeks to come, Kadija lived in secrecy in Robotropolis. She stole food and water from the places where Robotnik kept his food, and she was always hiding from SWATbots. 

The Freedom Fighters were making constant attacks against Robotnik, and that was when she would go to look at Snively through a grate or something. Kadija tried to dissect her love, but could not. Though by spying on him, she fought out a great deal about his character.

One oddly quiet day in the robot city, Kadija was sneaking in the main building, being less careful that usual. As she rounded a corner, she found herself face to face with Snively.

"Damn!" she muttered, and tried to back away, but she knew she had already been seen. 

An amused smile played the small man's face. "Julian's been in uproar since your escape. And…I've had this notion you haven't left the city. Those furballs would probably help you…or kill you on sight." He paused. "And what to do with you? Will you come quietly, or will you kill me and slink off again?"

Something very visible flickered in Kadija's organic eye. Snively, being a seasoned liar himself, noticed the quickly hidden emotion. After all, how many times did he have to hide blatant hatred and rage from his uncle?

"Aah…" he murmured as realization came. "So _that's _why you haven't left." Kadija knew her feelings had been found out, and she stood awkwardly in silence.

Snively broke down this situation quickly. She loved him, and that could be exploited. But to what use…? An assassin…yes. With that enhanced robotic body, she could take out Julian and Sonic…leaving him in charge. But…could he feign love? He'd need to…

Easy enough.

He stepped toward her. "You know, I've felt you watching me these past days. By now you must know my hatred for my uncle. So I need to ask you a favor…"

Kadija listened closely, yet kept some of her attention to her surroundings.

"I am going to be the ruler of Robotropolis, and Mobius, eventually. If you pledge allegiance to Julian and get rid of the Freedom Fighters, he'll trust you. Then…one dark night, you can get him out of my way. I will give you one-fifth of Robotropolis if you do this for me. Well?" Snively asked.

Before her mind could make sense of this arrangement, Kadija's heart spoke for her.

"I will."

Snively hid an evil grin.

"Very well then, you know what to do."

*

Two days later, Kadija was caught and dragged into Robotnik's main control room. She used a expression of anger mingled with fear, had beads of sweat on her forehead from effort and running, and her right leg was "damaged."

She had purposely wounded herself to make her capture seem more real. Kadija hoped this worked...both the plan and her love which seemed to be in control of her now.

Robotnik glowered at her, but wore a look of triumph.

"Ah, my little unfinished piece of work. How beautiful you would be if your Roboticization had been complete. Metal is so beautiful, isn't it…" Kadija rolled her eyes at this pathetic attempt at saying something intelligent and profound. 

Hanging her head in defeat, something the fat man rejoiced in, Kadija spoke. "Julian, I've come to offer my services. I'll aid your…er…cause and defeat the Freedom Fighters if you don't Roboticize me further. I've been enlightened by all this…um…_wonderful _air." She hoped he'd buy it…he sure looked stupid enough to buy it.

"Very well."

Kadija smiled. But as she grinned, an alarm sounded. The Freedom Fighters were initiating a plan. They had usually been being secret, but security was upped a bit. 

"Prove your loyalty. Capture one of the Freedom Fighters and Roboticize them. Preferably the hedgehog." Robotnik glared. "Do this or don't return."

Malicious grin on her face, Kadija said, "Trust me."

*

Sonic sped to a halt next to Sally near a junk pile. "Sal, what's with the alarm? I thought the SWATbots weren't on full alert!" he complained, waiting for her reply.

Sally was worried. "I think it's because of that Overlander's escape. Sonic, we need to get in and get out! Quickly, while Bunnie is still distracting them!" They saw Bunnie, sneaking around, drawing the attention of a hovercraft away from the junk pile.

"Shut down the Roboticizer, right Sal?"

Sally nodded. "Right Sonic," she confirmed. "And if we get separated, meet back at Knothole." 

"Then let's do it!" Sonic held Sally and they blasted into the city. 

*

Kadija ran down the halls openly, the SWATbots now regarding her indifferently. She used a mechanism in her robotic feet for extra speed, and tried to figure out where the Freedom Fighters would go.

"Roboticizer!" she realized, and sped down a hall to her left. Racing at top speed, as she entered the room, she hid from view. Using knowledge from her own experiences, she knew they'd look down from the duct above.

She only had to wait a few moments before she heard whispers in the duct. 

"Sonic, shhh!"

"Sal, no one's here."

"Well…you're right. Let's go."

The two Freedom Fighters dropped from the duct. Sonic looked down the hallway, then sealed the door to the room. Sally began working at the computer, typing feverishly. 

Stepping from the shadows, Kadija grabbed the nearer of the two – Sally. Without a word, she injected a chemical into the squirrel. She went limp. Silent, like liquid, she slid out of the door while Sonic looked for Sally.

"Sal? Sal!? Ah, man! SALLY!!!" he cried, but then tried a more intelligent approach. 

" 's okay, dude. She…uh…probably headed back. Yeah, she'll be at Knothole when I get back. Alright. Let's go." And with that, Sonic sped off. 

Kadija grinned at his back as he rushed off. She went back into the Roboticizer room, and put the unconscious Sally inside. Taking off a small walkie-talkie bracelet thingy, she revived the princess.

"Hey, princess. How are you?" she greeted as the squirrel stirred to life. Within two seconds Sally was aware of what was going on, but it was useless, her banging on the Diamond Glass.

Sally gulped as the machine started. "I thought you weren't on his side!" she screamed, panicking. 

The Overlander smiled. "I am, but not the 'him' you're talking about. There _is _more than one person here, you know. Oh, and I'll tell you why I stayed, because in a minute, it won't matter." 

Sally listened, though aware of her dire fate.

"I stayed for love of Snively."

The princess gasped as the green waves overtook her. Within moments, the Roboticization of Sally Acorn was complete. The tube hissed open and the robot stepped out.

Kadija surveyed Sally's new form with a grin. The princess, it seems, had been Roboticized before, long ago. She looked as she did that day. 

"Robot! Come with me to meet your master!" Kadija ordered, and Sally began to walk. They both made their way to the room where Robotnik waited.

*

Robotnik surveyed the robotic Sally closely, looking for any of their little mind-freeing gizmos. Ordering it off, he turned to Kadija. 

"Very well, you've proven yourself to me. Y-" Robotnik stopped as the whole building began rumbling. The floor was shaking and the SWATbots were falling over. 

The angry fat man pounded on a keyboard. A picture of Snively's face appeared on the screen.

Without preamble, his nephew spoke. "S-s-sir! The Freedom Fighters have blown up the main factory and s-s-several other-" His voice shook because the floor he was on was rumbling too. The screen blipped and fizzled out. 

Kadija, sensing that the room she was in was on the verge of collapse, rushed out. Moments after she got out of the room, the door was blocked by falling metallic rubble. The building, no, the whole of Robotropolis was falling apart!!

"What the _hell _did those little furballs blow up?!" Kadija yelled to no one a she raced out of the building. She was outside when it shook more violently, and half of it had fallen into itself. 

Everything was eerily quiet, and a cloud of dust hovered over the ground. The factories were dark, and, beside herself, no robots moved. SWATbots froze where they stood.

"FREEDOM!!" Kadija heard the unanimous cry behind her. Freedom Fighters of all types and colors emerged from the junk piles behind her, and a few had a glass case on a wagon they pulled. Sonic was at the head of them.

"Where's Sally?" he yelled at Kadija. She smirked.

The girl gestured to the main building. "In the same room as Julian. Go in if you wish, but that structure is on the verge of total destruction. Even if you don't enter, her fate is the same as these lifeless SWATbots." 

Sonic was dismayed. "Y-you Roboticized her?" he said, although it was more of a whimper. He didn't need the Overlander to answer. 

A Mobian in the crowd cried out, "Treacherous Overlanders! They're all the same!" A murmur of agreement rose as well.

Sonic, wiping the look of sadness and shock from his face, pointed at the glass case. "That's Diamond Glass, Overlander. We made that for you." The hedgehog's voice was like acid, his eyes filled with poison.

Kadija put her hands on his hips. "Oh, yeah? How are you pathetic animals going to get me in there?" 

A voice came from behind her. "Tha answer's right behind ya," a Southern-accented voice said. A hand with a piece of cloth was put in front of her face and Kadija inhaled. It was Chloroform. 

*

Kadija's head was reeling but she quickly stood up. She was in that damn Diamond Glass box, and one hole was in the top for air to flow in and out. She cursed and sat down. The glass box was in the Freedom Fighters little prison and an annoying weasel was in the cell next to her.

"Heh, new here?" he asked.

She shot him a poisonous look. "No, I decided to sit in a glass box in a pathetic little jail! What do you think, idiot?!" she snapped at him.

The weasel had a large tooth that stuck out of his mouth, and he grinned. "I'm Nack. Y'know, those little wimps'll let me out before they let you, an Overlander, out," he said, and Kadija didn't correct him. She knew he was right.

Nack looked over her robotic body as Kadija sat on the floor of her cell, cursing spitefully. For a moment she stopped and a faraway look was in her eyes. Then she stood and kicked the glass.

Kadija turned to Nack. "Why are you here?"

The weasel shrugged. "Ah, just some stupid thing. Trying give Sonic over to Robotnik. Ya know, a misdemeanor."

The girl sat down again. "Those idiots. They think Julian's gone." She tapped her robotic eye. "I looked at the main building in Robotropolis. There are still two heat signatures in there." 

Laughing, Kadija stood once more. "He's alive… They're both alive. Just because all the SWATbots are switched off doesn't mean Julian's dead. Just because there's no factories or anything running in that city doesn't mean Julian's dead. Those bombs just blew up the main controls. Why, I could fix that whole damn system in a split-second." She smiled and thought of her love.

"Also, their princess is gone. They think she'll regain her mind since Robotropolis is shut down? Hah! I hardwired the Roboticizer just in case of such an occurrence. She's just as lifeless as the SWATbots! I didn't fail, I didn't disappoint," Kadija murmured, her thoughts still on Snively.

Nack was mildly impressed. "You Roboticized da Princess? Wow. Heh, those FF's will be so confused, plus you're going to piss off Sonic all to hell."

Kadija wasn't surprised at his idiotic way of speaking. He _was _just a furball, after all. An idea pouncing on her, she activated her robotic eye. It blinked and targeted five points in the Diamond Glass.

"It took a Roboticizer to overload and explode to shatter this glass." A hatch opened in her forearm and she removed an accessory which she fixed onto her right hand. It formed an arm cannon of some kind (Think 'Mega Man').

Cocking the cannon, Kadija grinned. "I think I can duplicate the power of that explosion." She aimed at one of the five selected spots.

Nack furrowed his brow. "Eh, you're sure you're not gonna blow me to kingdom-come too? And, uh, is that lil insignia on your forehead screwing with your mind?" Kadija ignored him but lowered her arm cannon.

"No…I need to make an _exit. _Sneaking around is getting boring. I know…" She thought to herself, then turned to Nack. "And if you don't stop talking like an ignoramus, I'll going to hurt you very badly."

Nack smirked. "Actually, I just talk like that to piss others off. The whole idiotic grin thing is just a ploy, to fool others. I _am _a bounty hunter after all. Some evasion and confusion techniques come as second nature."

"Second nature, ha! _You're _just an idiot trying to pass yourself off as a tactical genius. So shut up," Kadija growled, then sat down and imagined the perfect escape. 

The small hours passed by boringly and Kadija slept until she heard a scream.


	3. Land of Confusion

Land of Confusion

The song is 'Land of Confusion' by Genesis.

Majin Magus

__

I must've dreamed a thousand dreams

Sonic sat up, quick as a lightning bolt. He was shaking and sweating. Putting his head in his hands, he just took deep breaths and tried to relax.

Been haunted by a million screams

More often than not, the memories of seeing so many Roboticized came to him in the form of nightmares. Their cries, their pain, and the blank look on their faces when the process was complete. Robotnik had had an infinite army of robotic soldiers. What could've been done? But now, the city was shut down as were the SWATbots. Terror was gone, as so many had said.

But I can hear the marching feet

Was Robotnik really gone? Surely, he could still be alive. He had heard that a few SWATbots were stirring in Robotropolis.

They're moving into the street.

Also, another rumor was that the active SWATbots were beginning to pick up the rubble and dig out their master. Standing up, he thought of the one person who would be sure of what Robotnik was doing.

"Kadija," Sonic said, leaving his hut and walking to the jail. He entered, passed Nack's cell and stood on the other side of the bars of the girl's cell. She smiled at him, then she grinned evilly. Her robotic eye glimmered.

When she said nothing, and Sonic didn't feel like inquiring about anything at this time of night, he left, but paused by a window, and he overhead Kadija and Nack talking.

Now did you read the news today

"Hah! So you're saying you saw the heat signatures of Robotnik and Snively in Robotropolis?!" Nack cackled. "And these idiots think they're both dead! Actually, they're just worried about 'ole lard butt, not that little wimp."

They say the danger's gone away

Sonic heard Kadija force a laugh. "Yes, before they caught me, I scanned the heat signatures of buildings, and both of them were still alive."

"Who cares about Snively? It's not like he's any threat?" he heard Nack say.

But I can see the fire's still alight

"You'd be surprised, weasel. Cunning and resourceful. Snively will last longer than Julian, guaranteed," Kadija snapped.

There burning into the night.

Nack scoffed. "I'll believe that when I see it."

There's too many men

Too many people

Making too many problems

And not much love to go round

Can't you see

This is a land of confusion.

Sonic quickly raced around and gathered up all the Freedom Fighters and explained what he knew. 

"Robotnik?"

"Still alive?!"

"No! It can't be true!"

This is the world we live in

"LISTEN!!" Sonic yelled over the babble. Everyone quieted.

"You discover Robotnik isn't dead and you go crazy?! We've been fighting him for years! What difference does it make if he's alive now? How is it any different from yesterday?"

And these are the hands we're given

Using the motivation power he felt he needed to use since Sally wasn't here, he continued.

"We all have our special abilities! We were given them for this fight! We have so we can free Mobius from Robotnik's evil clutches. C'mon, guys, let's go!"

__

Use them and let's start trying

Kadija heard the speech from her cell. It was meant for the Freedom Fighters, but she looked at her robotic hands. Was it destiny that she was seventy-five percent Roboticized? 

Placing her arm cannon in the air hole, she shot a powerful bomb that blew up her cell and half the prison. Nack's cell was still intact and he cursed.

The gathered Freedom Fighters turned and saw Kadija, still in her Diamond Glass box, grinning at all of them. Bewildered, they watched her.

"Do you know what this eye does?! Do you know what I used it for?" she called the animals. "I pinpointed five weak spots in your idiotic box here!"

Aiming her arm, she fired five shots of miniature explosives and the box shattered. She hovered in the air via her robotic feet and wore a triumphant look on her face.

To make it a place worth living in.

All gasped as the supposedly unbreakable Diamond Glass lay in hundreds of shards on the ground. Sonic wore a look of defeat on his face.

__

Ooh Superman where are you now

"Hey! Sonic!" Kadija called mockingly. "Where's Sally, your little mastermind?! Oh, that's right, she's a mindless robot trapped in Robotropolis with Julian!" The Freedom Fighters were all sad, angry and abashed at the same time.

When everything's gone wrong somehow

"Wouldn't she been pulling your asses out of the fire about now? She'd have some brilliant plan, right? Ha, so much for that!" The girl continued to rub their faces in the truth some refused to totally accept.

The men of steel, the men of power

Are losing control by the hour.

"You thought you were fighting a war you could win! Look at the endless armies of Julian! He has more mercenaries than you could ever dream of! The strong, powerful, courageous Freedom Fighters are losing. Good luck, you'll need it." And with that, Kadija waved a mocking farewell and flew off.

Sonic turned to the Freedom Fighters.

This is the time

This is the place

So we look for the future

"This is the way things are! If we want to live in peace, we have to fight for it!" he shouted.

But there's not much love to go round

Tell me why, this is a land of confusion.

Crossing his arms, Sonic fell silent.

"If you have a better solution, I'm all ears."

This is the world we live in

And these are the hands we're given

Use them and let's start trying

To make it a place worth living in.

As the crowd murmured and agreed to Sonic's plan, Sonic drifted into memories of Sally…

I remember long ago -

Ooh when the sun was shining

Yes and the stars were bright

All through the night

And the sound of your laughter

As I held you tight

So long ago –

I won't be coming home tonight

"So it's decided," Sonic said later. "We go in tonight and finish this."

My generation will put it right

Tails flew in through the window. "Sonic, Sonic! I wanna help too!"

Sonic smiled at his little friend. "Nah, Tails, you're a helpful little guy, but we're going in on this one…alone, ok, big guy?" The little fox nodded and smiled sadly. 

We're not just making promises

"Y'all be fine here," Bunnie said. "We're gonna take that 'ole Robotnik once and fah all."

That we know, we'll never keep.

"Promise?" Tails said.

"Dat's a promise, big guy," Sonic replied, putting on his backpack.

"Alright, let's go!"

Too many men

There's too many people

Making too many problems

And not much love to go round

Can't you see

This is a land of confusion.

Now this is the world we live in

Later, Sonic and Bunnie stood outside Robotropolis city limits. The pollution rose in the sky, and one of the factories was functional and was producing hovercrafts. Two rooms had lights on.

And these are the hands we're given

Bunnie clenched her robotic hand into a fist.

"It hurts me ta see our city like this," she whispered.

Sonic laid a hand on her organic shoulder. "It's hurts me too, Bunnie."

Use them and let's start trying

To make it a place worth fighting for.

Bunnie pulled herself together and they entered the city.

This is the world we live in

As the two Freedom Fighters came into Robotropolis, in two separate rooms, Snively and Kadija were typing feverishly.

And these are the names we're given

The Freedom Fighters in Knothole could do nothing but pray for their heroes' safe return. 

Stand up and let's start showing

Robotnik regained consciousness in his chair, and saw that the robot Sally was still in front of him, but lifeless and turned off.

Just where our lives are going to.


End file.
